Project Summary We are requesting support for the Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Mechanisms of Epilepsy and Neuronal Synchronization to be held Aug 16-21, 2020 and the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS, Aug 15-16, 2020) at the Rey Don Jaime Grand Hotel in Barcelona, Spain. This 8th Gordon Conference is the premiere scientific meeting in the field of basic and translational epilepsy research. The overall aim of this GRC is to bring together established and early career researchers, students, and postdoctoral fellows for 5 days in an intensive, interactive environment to present and discuss state-of-the-art, unpublished findings related to basic mechanisms of epilepsy, current translational studies, and the search for novel targets in disorders of brain synchronization. The conference is designed to fully engage the participants by involving them in extensive discussion of unpublished research, and the environment is specifically geared towards fostering interactions. This format facilitates intense in-depth discussions and generates active collaborations between investigators in the field. Another critical goal of this GRC is to increase the representation of women, racial/ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and other individuals who have been traditionally underrepresented in the epilepsy research workforce by assuring that they are well represented as speakers and discussion leaders. The theme of this GRC is ?Molecular and Network Complexity in the Epileptic Brain?, focusing on building a ?next generation? conceptual and practical framework that acknowledges the emerging molecular, cellular, and circuit-level complexity underlying epilepsy in developing and adult brain. The theme is timely; simplistic models of `excitation' and `inhibition' no longer leverage our growing knowledge of the genetic and biological complexities of neuronal and glial subtypes, synapses, and connectivity, and how they determine epileptogenesis during brain development. At the 2020 GRC we will discuss the most recent advances integrating these findings and how our approach to network instability will accelerate the development of new treatments. A group of dynamic speakers will join 200 other participants in talks and poster sessions over four days to help ignite the field with new ideas. The GRC offers an outstanding networking opportunity, and the organizers are committed to fostering a diverse, welcoming, and safe intellectual community. We will bring together geneticists, molecular biologists, developmental neuroscientists, electrophysiologists, clinician-scientists and computational neuroscientists working on the full spectrum of epilepsy research, from basic mechanisms through preclinical and human research. Our goals are to disseminate the latest scientific advances, foster new insights and collaborations, stimulate enthusiasm for epilepsy research among young investigators, and increase diversity of the epilepsy research workforce with the ultimate goal of accelerating the delivery of new therapies to persons with epilepsy.